Written In Your Name
by Tribalfunk00
Summary: At 16, Sakura came to some realizations. If she wanted to become a Jounin she would have to work hard for it. The absence and return of Sasuke had shaken her to the core but things were different now. What will it take for her to open up again? [kakasau]
1. A kunoichi's dream

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT own Naruto or any other characters affiliated with the series.

Author's note: I was formerly known as ph34R tH3 CuT3 0N3s / FeR0Ci0US-FuNK. This is a total overhaul of a fic I started ages ago (and never got to a second chapter) by the title of "Sweetest Sin" and I'm much more pleased with it this time around.

Summary: Three years have passed and at sixteen, the pink haired kunoichi had realized a thing or two. If she wanted to become a Jounin she would have to work hard for it. The absence and return of Sasuke had shaken her to the core but things were different now and she guarded her bruised heart. Just what will it take for her to open up again?

Kakashi/Sakura Rated R for content in later chapters

Written In Your Name

_S__plashes of crimson pink and deep orange seemed to stretch endlessly as the sun was setting leisurely above the village of Konoha. Haruno Sakura, who was drenched in sweat let out a worn out sigh from her trembling lips, she was utterly exhausted from her rigorous training. The tree that had once stood in front of her was now nothing more that a heap of splintered pulp, the glimmer of countless shuriken's and kunai's were seen lodged in the sad excuse of bark as they reflected hints of the remaining sunlight. Flopping to the ground with a soft thud, her emerald eyes wandered up and peered at the beautiful sky above her, her arms and legs lay sprawled on the blades of luscious green grass, motionless. She was sore and extremely fatigued, her body ached from her immense chakra output but nevertheless, a tiny smile had played upon her lips. Sakura was content and pleased with her training today._

_At 16, the pink haired kunoichi had realized a thing or two, and if she wanted to become a Jounin she would have to work hard for it. Sakura had focused her energy towards taijutsu and ninjutsu training, and even though her monstrous strength and genjutsu had become quite remarkable she still felt that there was room for improvement. She needed stamina. She would train at dusk even if she had sparred earlier in the day with her teammates and Kakashi, Sakura would come to the same clearing every night. Her entire being was poured into her training, her determination and strong will would shine through it all._

_Tendrils of her soft, pink locks fanned out on the grass and framed her face like a glowing cotton candy halo. With a content sigh she closed her eyes and imagined herself in a Jounin's uniform, the telltale olive green vest and dark navy pants hugging her body in all the right places. She let out a genuine laugh as she considered ways of altering the uniform to make it unique and her own. Propping herself up with her hands, Sakura sat up gingerly doing her best to further avoid aggravating her cuts and bruises, using kage bunshin no jutsu to replicate a sparring partner for herself proved useful but painful._

_With a wistful sigh she spoke "Ahhhh, time to go home" to nobody in particular "I need a shower."_

_Getting up with great effort, the young kunoichi dusted herself off and found her bearings as she balanced on uneasy legs. Stretching her slender arms above her head with yet another tired groan, Sakura sauntered towards home. Taking her time was a good idea; it was after all a beautiful evening. The sun had sunk below the horizon completely before the emerald eyed girl had even reached the outer gates of Konoha when suddenly; she was distracted by a single pink petal that had swung gracefully to the ground in front of her. Green eyes peered down intently at the supple petal that now lay at her feet._

_"Hnnnn, so it seems that the cherry tree's are blooming" she said with a smile._

_Sakura loved the orchards of cherry trees that stood tall row upon row, how their delicate branches would sway in the cool night's breeze, and how their sweet scent would intoxicate the air. It didn't matter how utterly drained her body was, Sakura found herself following the pleasant fragrance and she wasn't disappointed, she had wandered into a clearing surrounded by the ancient and stunningly beautiful trees. Thousands of Soft petals fluttered, serenading the cool earth with silky shades of crimson pink. She was completely taken aback by the sight in front of her and only one word had been delivered from her pink lips._

_"Beautiful..."_

_The petals had almost appeared to be dancing in the moonlit night. Her eyes widened in amazement and a glowing smile had graced her soft features, she was soaking in every single moment of bliss. Right then and there, the young girl had felt an exhilarating sensation course through her being; she instantly knew that this moment was hers and hers alone. It seemed to catch her off guard but Sakura instantly knew that this wonderful stretch of land held a special place in her heart. The breeze had picked up, sending hundreds of tiny, pale petals flickering past her. She inhaled deeply and continued her way back home._

The next morning, Sakura had stirred from bed at a languid pace. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she let out a loud yawn before both arms were outstretched above her head and then came flopping back to her sides. Her jade eyes shifted towards her curtains and noted the amount of sunlight that was seeping through.

"_Shit_" she thought to herself "_It must be noon already_."

She had hoped to wake up sooner to avoid overcrowding at the public baths and steam rooms; unfortunately she had pushed a little too hard with training the previous night and was utterly exhausted. She quickly throttled the tempting thought of using some simple healing techniques to help soothe her muscles, she would have to reserve her all her chakra for training. Slightly annoyed, the kunoichi pushed aside her covers and finally hauled herself out of bed. She threw on her black shorts and noting that it was extremely hot outside she opted for her sleeveless red slip dress overtop. She didn't bother to wrap her torso with bandages since she was heading directly over to the bath house for a lovely soak in the mineral enriched waters of the hot springs. Kicking on her shoes, Sakura grabbed the hairbrush off of her vanity and wrapped it in a large, white terrycloth towel along with some other personal effects.

"Tchh" she sighed as she rolled her head back "my back is killing me!"

Scanning the room a final time, she made note of anything she was forgetting before she set out.

The streets of Konoha were anything but calm and quiet at this hour, the hustle and bustle of small markets and fruit stands that were littered along side of the street had a cheery air about them. It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud to been seen in the vast cerulean sky. A small ramen shop nestled in between two larger buildings had just opened for its lunch service and already there was a short line forming. Sakura smiled inwardly as she walked and noted a young boy slurping up the hot noodles with such gusto, he instantly reminded her of her very own teammate. As she continued towards the bathhouse, her thoughts had dwelled upon Konoha's Jinchuuriki. Naruto had shown so much progression and improvement, both physically and emotionally through his years of training with Jiraiya. Amazingly, the boy had actually matured. Granted, he was still a Genin up until one year ago and he still had his moments but that didn't change the fact that he had really grown strong. Jade eyes traveled towards the clear heavens above her. A tiny smile had graced Sakura's soft lips; she strived to become even stronger just like him.

Sakura closed her eyes for just a moment and felt the warm sun kissing her face, when suddenly she had collided into somebody with a not so soft thud and tripped over her own feet, toppling down onto the cobblestone road.

"Ouch.." groaned Sakura while bringing her hand to the back of her neck, sitting up slowly. The girl let out a small wince of pain as she gingerly rubbed her knee before she opened her eyes and saw a flash of Silver hair.

"I'm terribly sorry!" she fumbled with her words "Are you alright?"

"Yo, Sakura" an all too familiar lackadaisical voice spoke.

"Kakashi Sensei?" Her emerald eyes traveled the ground in front of her towards a very striking orange book entitled _Icha Icha Paradise. _They shot up and were met by a pair of intense eyes, one coal black and the other sharingan red. Hatake Kakashi sat facing Sakura, one of his knees was pulled up towards him and his other leg laid outstretched over top the pink-haired girl's thigh. He propped himself up with his right hand whereas his left was fastidiously rubbing the back of his head. The Jounin then continued to fix his hitae back over his uncovered sharingan.

"I got lost on the road of life today, and then to my surprise I get knocked over by…" he had stopped mid sentence when had taken a good look at his student.

Sakura's cotton candy tresses were tousled and unruly, framing her blushing face with a wild radiance. Her pert breasts were pushed up against the thin cloth of her dress; the lack of bandage around her torso gave him an all too tantalizing peak at her flawless skin and collarbone. The strap on her right arm had slinked down and bared a smooth, slender shoulder. Against his better senses, Kakashi had also noticed Sakura's tight shorts had only come down to mid thigh, revealing her shapely legs. The copy-nin felt something tighten in his throat; he needed to remind himself that it's rude to stare with hungry eyes, especially at a girl who was merely sixteen years of age. Although Sakura was no longer the meek little girl he had become quite overprotective of, Kakashi had a feeling that their training would become a little difficult today.

Sakura wasn't sure what to make of her sensei's intense gaze, it's as if he was staring right through her and reading her soul. She suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable and spoke "Umm, Sensei…"

"Oi, Sakura. Be a little bit more careful next time, you can't always have your head up in the clouds" A slight crinkle appeared under his eye which indicated he was smiling underneath his mysterious mask.

"Oh? And I suppose you having your nose glued to that perverted novel of yours had nothing to do with this Sensei?" she retorted with a smirk.

"Ahh, Sakura as the old saying goes Knowledge is power"

"I'd hardly call that informative" she scoffed.

Carefully, the grey haired Jounin stood up and briskly brushed off his pants and vest before reaching his gloved hand out to an amused yet slightly addled Sakura. She placed her smaller hand on Kakashi's palm and was pulled to her feet by a strong and firm, yet gentle grip. Sakura bent over, dusting off her scarlet dress and hastily picked up the rest of her belongings when she felt the tingling sensation of a blush creeping up to her cheeks as she sensed Kakashi's gaze upon her again.

Choosing to ignore it, she straightened herself out and forced out a smile "Alright, good as new!" Kakashi's head cocked to the side ever so slightly as he peered down at Sakura, his eye held a playful glint. Her green eyes locked with his and it seemed as if an eternity had passed between them. Suddenly, she felt something briefly brush up against her right arm. Kakashi's fingertips trailed lazily up her arm, barely touching her skin has he brought the thick strap of her dress to its proper position on her shoulder. She blinked. "Good as new" he breathed out still keeping eye contact. "Well then, I'll see you later at training."

"H-hai" Sakura stammered. Honestly, of all people she had to bump into her Sensei. She was just grateful he hadn't noticed the little cotton panties that had fallen out of her tightly wrapped towel. At least she prayed to God he didn't.

"Sakura, is everything alright?" he asked.

"Of c-course! I'm fine!" she lied.

The tall, silver-haired jounin gave her a curt nod and a small pat on the head. He turned on his heels and began walking towards the general direction of team 7's meeting point at an all too leisurely pace. Stuffing his hand in his pocket, he reached in and grabbed his erotic book and dusted it off. Kakashi continued reading while he walked down the street, paying little to no attention where he was heading. Sakura stood in the middle of the road flustered as hell; her emerald orbs tracked her sensei's retreating body until it blended entirely with the crowds. The man was an enigma; a tall, perverted, insufferable and mischievous, yet caring enigma. The skin on her arm still tingled from the feather like caress his fingertips had traced. She brought her left hand up towards her right arm and gently touched it, her heart beat had quickened ever so slightly and she couldn't get the lingering thought of Kakashi and his intense eyes out of her head.

Shaking her head of the cob webs, Sakura continued onwards, her muscles all but screaming at her to quicken the pace and get into a nice relaxing hot spring. When she had finally arrived, she was thrilled to see that the public bath wasn't as busy as she had anticipated. Sakura smiled warmly at the attendant at the front and paid the small fee before entering into the ladies change room. Undressing deftly, she padded down to the showers and let the hot water cascaded down all over her being. Letting out a content sigh Sakura lathered in an array of soapy suds and used her apple blossom shampoo.

"_Hah, Pakkun's favourite_."

To this day she was incredibly perplexed as to why one of Konoha's elite ninja dogs needed to use human beauty products. Did it leave his coat soft and lustrous? Did his fur have split ends? Wouldn't fleas, ticks and gnats be even more attracted to its supple sweet scent? More inane questions flooded her mind. Perhaps some things were better left unanswered. After her quick shower she was finally ready for that well deserved muscle relaxing soak. Wrapping her towel around her drenched, naked body she turned the corner of the narrow hallway and stepped out into the outdoor enclosure containing the hot pools. A slight breeze elicited a shiver that ran down the kunoichi's back. Yes, she was definitely looking forward to this.

No more than forty five minutes had passed and Sakura had emerged from the bathhouse feeling instantly rejuvenated. Aching muscles had been reduced to a dull, bearable pain.

"Sakuraaaa!" a figure stood waving in the distance "Oi, Sakura-chaaaan!"

Naruto was energetic as ever, literally bursting at the seams with such enthusiasm for life. The blonde haired chuunin came jogging towards her, a dopey grin adorned his whiskered face. As much as she hated to admit it, Naruto had really grown on her. The fox boy had always seemed to make time for the pink haired girl, even though they had both been rigorously trained by two of Konoha's legendary Sannin. Both teammates had become inherently closer over the years, especially during Sasuke's absence. Sakura held on to these bonds dearly, at times it seemed that only Naruto had managed to keep her sane and grounded. He provided the comfort and solace she so desperately needed, promising with determined eyes that he would bring _him_ back. Of course it would be years and countless failed attempts before they even had a lead on Sasuke's whereabouts. Over time, her fractured heart had slowly begun mending; delving herself head first into her studies and training under the tutelage of Tsunade the kunoichi began to smile again.

Her jade eyes flickered up and were met by warm electric blue orbs, lips curling up into a half smile she cocked her head to the side "My, isn't somebody in a good mood. Did you con Iruka-Senpai into treating you to Ramen again?"

The excitement in his eyes waned, if only for a split second before he replied "I haven't had much time to visit Ichiraku lately, Ero-Sennin has been helping me develop new techniques."

"I'm almost afraid to ask" she chortled as she shook her head.

A foxy smile played upon Naruto's face before he giggled almost maddeningly. "I've created the ultimate harem jutsu! I'm gonna test it out on Kakashi-sensei today!"

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh and brought her delicate hand to the bridge of her nose. She could feel the sudden angered twitch knitting at her eyebrow as she unknowingly started to grit her teeth. _The blind leading the blind_, or in this case, the extremely perverse leading (at times) a loud mouthed idiot. It was ironic that just moments ago Sakura had been in a deep contemplative state about Naruto's growth and maturation, which was apparently lacking in some departments...namely the one which wasn't thinking with his head.

"Is there anything that old man has coached you with that _isn't_ completely laced with exploitation?"

"Ehhhhh come on Sakura-chan! It's all in good fun!" he pleaded.

"Good fun? He's worse than Kakashi-sensei! Tsunade tells me he is a notorious peeping tom!" she reprimanded.

"That's not true!" the fox boy retorted "Sometimes he just uses my harem jutsu for inspiration instead!"

Sakura stared at her teammate incredulously, mouth slightly agape and dry with frustration. Naruto appeared to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride swelling up in him as if he proved a point. _That's not the only thing that'll be swelling_ inner Sakura piped up as she gritted her teeth. There was no point in further continuing the conversation; Naruto was just having one of those dumbfounded Naruto moments.

She exhaled a steady breath and eased her nerves.

"We should probably head down to the training grounds."

"Alright!" Naruto buzzed with fervor, "I can't wait to see the look on Kakashi-sensei's face!"

So off they went, walking side by side as old friends did. Naruto, quite the chatterbox as usual kept the conversation going, even if it was often one sided. Sakura would interject here and there with a short "Hnnn" and a slight nod to let him know she was still listening but she was once again lost in her thoughts. So many things had changed over the years. A slight pang of sadness struck through her, yes things had definitely changed. She could remember that day vividly, she could still smell the rain in the air; the day that Sasuke had come back.

_ The looming blackness of dark thunder clouds came rolling over the skies of Konoha. The air felt dense, heavy with heat and moisture. Sakura sat inside Tsunade-Sama's office, studying scrolls about advanced chakra control and medical-nin techniques. Her eyes peered beyond the large panes of glass and noted how ominous the sky had become. Focusing back at the task at hand she turned back to the scrolls, eyes straining for more knowledge. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes, the kunoichi had been at it for hours and she could feel the dull throbbing sensation of a headache mitigate her mind. With a sigh, she placed the scrolls down and rubbed her temples with gentle ministrations of her nimble fingers. Sakura pushed back the uncomfortable chair she had been sitting in with a single kick of her legs and stood up. Yes, she could definitely afford to go stretch her legs, sitting hunched over in that godforsaken chair for hours had really drained her. The kunoichi had walked through the door leading to the upstairs balcony on the Hokage Tower. She often went atop the balcony when she needed a moment to escape, usually from her studies._

_Leaning forth against the railing casually, she stared at the dark canopy of clouds above her, ears perceptive to the distant clash of thunder. The humidity was almost stifling; Sakura was just waiting for the spark, the incendiary rumble of elements before the downpour. She could just feel the crackle of electricity in the air and with a booming roar the rain had finally come. Tiny droplets of water had careened out of the skies as the heavens openly wept upon Konoha, and she stood there calm and unfazed. Sakura loved the rain, its thick earthy scent and its purity. It was cleansing. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, drenched pink locks cascading over her sculpted shoulders as the unrelenting moisture spattered gently on the smooth skin of her face. For just a single moment, she hadn't a care in the world. No intrusive thoughts of chakra techniques, no worries of completing piles upon piles of paperwork, no grueling missions, nothing. It was just her and the rain. This beautiful rain._

_She was suddenly snapped back to reality when she faintly felt a distinctive chakra signature, one which she hadn't felt in almost three years. Three horrendously long, gut wrenching years. Her emerald orbs frantically scanned the village below her. No, it couldn't be. This was her exhausted and mentally strained body playing tricks on her. Warily, the jade eyed girl brought her shaking hands to her face and pushed the stray, wet strands of hair out from her eyes. She felt "him' again. Her mind raced. He was back, Sasuke was back! Without a second to lose, the girl bolted from the balcony back down to Tsunade's office._

_Practically kicking down the door she beckoned "Tsunade-shishou! Tsunade-shishou! He's Back! Sasu…" she froze instantly._

_The smile that had adorned her lips slowly faded. Raw emotion sparkled through those beautiful green eyes of hers as small pools of water began to collect at her feet. She was like a deer in headlights, unsure of herself. Her body couldn't move even if it wanted to. Tsunade, who was sitting down behind her desk, craned her neck behind her and took a good look at her student, fierce hazel eyes somehow softened as they saw the state her pupil was in. A crackling bolt of lightening had struck somewhere near by, illuminating the office with a haunting glow. Haunting like those ebony eyes that stared back at Sakura. The air was laced with tension before the Hokage turned back to face those in front of her and finally spoke._

_"Naruto, you will be reporting to Konoha intel and have Shizune accompanying you where you will be debriefed about this completed mission."_

_Naruto nodded, his compassionate eyes darting back to Sakura. He offered her a small smile of courage. He did it, he finally did it. Naruto had brought Sasuke back to Konoha. Tsunade's commanding voice continued to invade the air around them "Jiraiya, I expect a full report on my desk by tomorrow."_

_The white haired Sannin gave her a complacent nod as he leaned against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. The room grew silent for a moment and it felt as though all Sakura could hear was the loud "thump" of her ever increasing heartbeat. She suddenly realized how incredibly ridiculous she must look, standing completely sopping wet from rain without saying a word after bursting into the room. She couldn't find it in her to even squeak out "Excuse me" before she slowly made her way out of the room. It was only when the girl knew she was completely out of earshot that quiet sobs wracked her body and tears flowed freely. She felt foolish and weak. Sakura didn't know why she had reacted the way she did and she just couldn't shake the image of Sasuke's eyes. Cold and disassociated. He had changed greatly. Physically he still looked the same, although his looks had become more chiseled, refined and mature. But the Uchiha's aura was even darker and more brooding than Sakura could have ever imagined. She could sense his thick skin was laden with horrid memories of pain and blood. Revenge._

_Sakura wiped her tears away with the back of her hand carelessly.  
"Hah, what were you expecting?" she said to herself bitterly "That he would come back and everything would be back to normal? Team 7 would reunite and we would all live happily ever after?"_

_He was back and she was completely caught off guard by it. Her jade eyes stung slightly from the freshly shed tears, she could feel that familiar twinge of anguish grip at her rapidly beating heart. Sakura had come to accept the fact that her love for Sasuke would almost always be unrequited, but seeing him stand not ten feet in front of her had flooded her mind with old memories and her heart with old feelings. She sighed heavily, she had been praying for this moment for years and now that it had finally come she didn't know what to do. The slight click of a door being closed was heard and her body had immediately stiffened. Her mind was ablaze with thoughts of fleeting, but that would be foolish. Instead, the kunoichi stood there nervously awaiting another glimpse of Konoha's now returned nin. Her eyes had darted to her right and were met by the striking boy's features. She bit her lip in hopes that it would help prevent any fresh tears trickling down her cheek; she didn't want to be known as the weak, crybaby anymore. Time ticked away at an almost unbearable rate as Sasuke seemingly inched his way towards Sakura. It felt as if the hallway had been miles long and when he finally stood in front of her, Sakura found her eyes had been momentarily fixated upon her feet._

_Sasukes' obsidian eyes focused upon the girl in front of him, intently scanning her body language as she so desperately tried to regain her composure. She had become rather striking, even in the emotional, sopping wet state she was in. She too had changed, she'd become stronger, and he could sense it. Her vivid, glistening emerald eyes had finally mustered the courage to meet his and with a shaky breath, the girl gave him a weak smile_

_"Welcome home Sasuke"_

_"It's been a while, Sakura" his smooth voice replied._

_She forgot how much she missed the sound of his voice, and how it made her feel when her name would roll off his tongue. She felt overwhelmed with sensations; she wanted to pinch herself awake as though this was some sort of twisted dream. A moment of tension filled silence had slowly settled amongst them, neither knowing what should or shouldn't be said. Sakura began fidgeting inadvertently, Sasuke's piercing gaze sent shockwaves of nervousness through her. Sensing this, the raven haired boy set his sights elsewhere as he began slowly walking past her._

_"I'll see you around."_

_She stared at his retrieving back until he became nothing more than a shadowy figure that was now getting smaller as he walked further down the hallway. Her heart immediately sank; there he was again, walking away. She had played out this very moment over and over in head many times, but it was never like this. Three horrendous years she had been missing him, yearning for him. They exchanged twelve words. Twelve. Part of her wanted to chase Sasuke down and cling to him dearly, if only for a moment, but her logical half suddenly kicked in and warned that it would be juvenile. She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe, Sakura had finally made some progression in her life, her studies, her strengths, but the second she came in contact with Sasuke it's as if it all her hard work had come crashing down in a pathetic, crumpled heap around her feet. She felt helpless. She thought she had moved on and completely mentally prepared herself for this day but she was wrong. Her eyes began to burn as hot tears trickled down her face and she grimaced, angry with her behaviour._

_The kunoichi found herself bolting down the hallway and jumping out a window, flying across the rooftops of Konoha as she was being pelted so hard with rain that it stung her supple skin. She didn't know where or why she was running; she just knew she needed to get out of the Hokage tower, away from the hallway that still lingered with the Uchiha's scent. Hot tears mixed with cold rain and flowed freely down her porcelain skin, her legs had begun to ache due to the intensity of her stride but it did nothing to stop her, if anything it only egged her on. Pushing through the rain she found herself in an open field, feet sinking ever so slightly into the muddy earth with every step before her knees finally buckled and she fell forward to the ground, tripping over herself. Sakura lay there on the ground immobile for a moment, pink locks splayed across the grass now covered with hunks of dirt. The rain wasn't letting up and she was soaked to the bone. As she squeezed her eyes shut her body shook with another sob. The baritone rumble of thunder was heard once more accentuating the bleak and dismal skies._

_What Sakura hadn't expected was opening her eye's and seeing a certain silver haired jounin squatting down next to her clutching an umbrella in one hand and holding his other one out to her. Averting her eyes, the girl pushed herself up with her arms and sat up, her medic uniform was soaking wet and covered in various grass stains and brown splotches of mud._

_"What are you doing out here in the pouring rain?" he asked calmly. He could tell she was crying, those emerald eyes of hers seemed to become even more vivid in color with every tear she shed._

_"I should be asking you the same thing!" she spat back emotionally._

_"Ahh. Well, if you must know I was just visiting some old friends" he pointed out behind him. It had then dawned on Sakura that she had run all the way to the Konoha memorial site. He could tell by the dazed look on the teens face that something was terribly amiss, not that her brash behavior hadn't already given that away. Kakashi studied the girl in front of him, she had resembled a pale shadow of the fierce kunoichi she had become and looked more like a lost kitten. He stayed there silently, carefully considering what he should say. The jounin wasn't very good when it came to sensitive situations where ones emotions were involved. He stood slowly, keeping his gaze locked on the girl in front of him. Reaching out a gloved hand one more time he motioned for her to accept it._

_"Could you at least get out of the rain?" his monotone voice asked._

_Sakura's placed her small hand into the much larger, warm palm of her sensei's and gripped it tightly as he helped pull her up in one sweeping motion. Even when she stood up straight facing him she had only come up on her Sensei about mid-chest. She stood there in close proximity to him almost motionless; her eyes were tracing the many pockets on his olive vest. There was a long moment of silence between them, nothing more could be heard but the patter of rain splashing atop the umbrella. Her fists balled up so tightly her knuckles had become white and she felt Kakashi's hand plant itself on her shoulder gently._

_"Mou, Sakura." He began "Are you alright?"_

_Two jade eyes darted up to meet one exposed, coal orb peering down at her. She could read the concern written all over his face and she couldn't hold back any longer, the tears had come forth once again and she threw herself against him, wrapping her slender arms around his body. Slightly taken aback by the clinging girl now engulfed around him the Jounin silently exhaled a breath he didn't even know he was holding in._

_"He's back.." her voice wavered into Kakashi's chest, muffled by her cries "Sasuke's back."_

_Another long pause, another deafening silence._

_"Ahh."_

_He hadn't known what else to say. So there he stood with his student clutching him as if life depended on it, his one hand placed gently on her shoulder giving her a comforting squeeze while the other held the umbrella over their entwined frames. A blinding white flash illuminated the air around them and the rolling thunder continued its heavenly chorus. The unrelenting rain kept descending upon them as the two continued to stand together in the lonely open field of fallen comrades and memories._

That was one of the first and only times Sakura would encounter Sasuke after his return to Konoha, shortly after his arrival he had enlisted himself in ANBU. She could still vividly hear him saying her name.

_"Sakura.."_

"Sakura…Sakura! Sakuraaaaaaaa-chan!" a impatient voice shouted "Oi, are you even listening to me?!"

Naruto began waving one of his hands in front of Sakura's face.

"Huh?" she shook her head as she was snapped out of her reverie "Oh, I'm sorry Naruto, what was that?"

"What's up with you?" his inquisitive voice piped "you've been a million miles away lately"

She gave him a weak smile and cocked her head gently to the side "It's nothing, really. I'm just tired I guess."

Perplexed blue orbs eyed their female teammate scrutinously. Naruto knew something was off but chose not to probe any further for fear he would receive Sakura well known, chakra charged right hook if he pushed too much. Deciding that the matter at hand wasn't too serious, he dropped the subject and smiled.

"You've been working really hard, ne Sakura-chan?"

"No more than the usual Naruto" she replied "there's no reason to be fretting over me." She sighed inwardly, Naruto had _NO _idea.

"Fret? Me?" he pointed to himself "I'm just looking out for you" he replied as he stuck out his tongue at her.

Some things would never change.


	2. Distractions

**Disclaimer**: I DO NOT own Naruto or any other characters affiliated with the series.

Author's note: I'm not as pleased with it as I was with chapter one, I'm just no good at writing any fighting scenes. Hopefully it's not too terrible. Ahh, there are some naughty bits in here (but it's not what you think….yet) Reviews are always welcome! Onwards with chapter two!

* * *

An inviting breeze had coursed through the warm air wafting along the subtle scent of spring. The two chuunin had been sitting under the shade of a large deciduous oak tree, awaiting the "fashionably late" Kakashi. The heat of the afternoon sun was intense and both Naruto and Sakura were secretly grateful of their sensei's perpetual tardiness.

"Do you ever still wonder Kakashi-Sensei is late all the time?" Naruto inquired.

"Not particularly, the man is an insufferable, old pervert!" Replied Sakura with a smirk, crossing her arms across her chest.

As if on cue, the silver haired jounin appeared behind his students with a hazy puff of grey smoke. "Oooh, come now. I'm not THAT old am I?" he bent forward and leered at female chuunin with a listless voice.

The tiny hairs on the back of Sakura's neck stood firmly on edge and she froze. She could feel her sensei breathing down her neck and his visible eye boring into the back of her skull. How was it that this man would always catch put Sakura in compromising situations? Her cheeks flushed slightly, it was the second time today. Laughing nervously, the coral haired kunoichi shot up from the grass and motioned to start training, mumbling something about "hard work" and "doing their best". She had a horrible tendency of rambling when she was nervous. Naruto was doing all that he could to keep himself from splitting at the seams laughing. He found plenty of humour in the situation even though it was at Sakura's expense but one daring look of her malicious green eyes was more than words could ever say and he was quick to wipe the grin off his face. If Sakura didn't know any better, she could have sworn that Kakashi actually took pleasure in making her feel completely awkward and uncomfortable.

"You can add sadist to the list." She muttered to herself, clenching her fist.

"Hmm, did you say something Sakura?" Kakashi asked, peering up from the pages of his favourite "novel".

She turned on her heels quickly and forced a smile "OH, it's nothing. Really" sighing with relief as his attention quickly turned back to smut filled book.

The copy-nin discreetly observed his students closely as they walked ahead of him, Sakura in particular. He enjoyed teasing her because he had always found her flustered reactions to be rather endearing and entertaining. He knew just how to ignite that passionate fire within her, even if it was her anger. Kakashi was thankful that the mask he wore concealed his ever present grin, which wasn't all too discreet because the tiny crinkle next to his smiling eye gave him away completely. The jounin knew why he had always maintained a bit of a soft spot for his only female student, it was the fact that she managed to evoke this endless banter. It was innocent of course, nothing more than the meeting sharp wit. He could never tease the boys like he could tease Sakura, Sasuke never had much of a sense of humour and Naruto could be a little dimwitted to truly understand his intentions at times. Sakura had a sharp tongue and wasn't afraid to use it right back, at times beating Kakashi at his own game. She held an air of profound maturity that was mixed with a hint of naïve childlike innocence. He tore his eyes away from her. She was truly blossoming into a fine young lady.

"Alright" his voice commanded while snapping his book shut "Let's warm up a little before we get into sparring."

Naruto's over exuberance was a rather evident, he had let out what could have been the equivalent of a battle cry and feverishly started doing pushups and sit-ups at such a fast pace it almost strained ones eyes to keep up with him. The fact that his actions were so reminiscent of Gai somewhat irked Kakashi. Sakura opted for a few stretches, she would be pushing herself to the limits later on that evening and decided to reserve what energy she could for the time being. Kakashi had planted himself under the shade of a tree and stood leaning against the firm bark, arms crossed casually across his chest with one foot propped up behind him. He was seemingly staring off into the clouds. Cool, calm and collected. He then continued to bury his nose in his erotic book.

"Tchh!" thought Sakura "l don't see him warming up."

She closed her eyes and rolled her head back along her shoulders from left to right and back again. After arching her back and outstretching her arms far above her head with feline precision she looked over at her sensei again, the man was still day dreaming. Irritated, the kunoichi calmly walked over to her teacher.

"Mmm.." he glanced over at her "What is it?"

The girl stood there, arms crossed with a resolute glint in her eyes.

"You know Kakashi-sensei, you never "warm up" before we spar or begin any training. Do you not take us seriously, or are you just a complete slacker?"

Surprised by her slight defiance, he took a long look at his student. Sakura's cheeks had become slightly pink from frustration and that halo of cotton candy hair swayed gently with each sweep of the soft spring breeze. Those jade eyes of hers not only held a passionate determination, but something that almost seemed like a streak of competitive nature. "_So that's how it's going to be?" _He thought to himself and let out a small sigh. He decided he'd humour her.

"Ahh" he brought his hand up behind his head "I suppose it can't be helped."

Sakura didn't like that sly tone he was using or the leer her was shooting towards her general direction. The jounin had dropped to the ground and prepared to do his infamous 1000 pushups, but just as he was about to lower himself to the ground and do the first one, he snapped his head up and his one exposed eye crept it's way up to Sakura. She stared back at him, unsure of what to say. He couldn't possibly be thinking of what she thought he was thinking.

"Mou, what's the matter Sakura?" he chided "If I'm going to do this, I better do it right."

"You're joking, right?" She stammered in disbelief "I'm not twelve anymore!"

"I'm well aware of that." He replied, arching his brow.

He was insane. Completely insane. At least that's what Sakura had thought. Here she was thinking she could give her teacher a little piece of her mind in hopes that it would motivate him a little more and keep his thoughts off Icha Icha paradise, but apparently she'd opened up a whole new can of worms. This further led her to believe that he more than enjoyed making her feel awkward.

"Bastard." she mumbled as she sat on his back, crossing her legs.

"I heard that."

There was a moment of silence between the two before the silver haired jounin had dipped down to the ground and back again in one fluid motion. And so it began. Sakura sat atop him, blushing hotly. She was thankful Kakashi couldn't see her face; he would've probably received some form of sick gratification from it. Up then down and back up again. It continued on like this for several minutes before Sakura had exhaled her last flustered breath and began to loosen up, deciding to forget how she got herself into this mess. She attempted to focus on some meditative chakra techniques, but that proved to be a little difficult with the constant bobbing motion she was experiencing. Green eyes traveled upwards towards the blue skies which were speckled with wispy clouds, searching for things that weren't there. Time was ticking by slowly and the sun was ablaze with heat. She began to fidget, twiddling her thumbs first then twirling a stray lock of fushia hair around her finger. Up and down, up and down. She could hear the copy-nin's breath become a little bit more laboured by the time he reached four hundred, but his resilience prevailed and his strength did not waver.

He breathed in and out.  
Up and down.

The airy chrip of a small sparrow was heard off in the distance, invading the stillness of thoughts that had laid to rest amongst Kakashi and Sakura. Neither had said so much as a word to each other, however the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Sitting almost completely still for such a long period of time began to weigh a little on Sakura; she needed to shift ever so slightly to prevent her legs from going numb. Kakashi still had another six hundred pushups to go and it would most definitely take some time. She considered her options and decided it would be best for her teacher if she distributed her weight upon him evenly. She rationalized that it would help him complete the task at hand faster and she could get down to her actual training.

"Oi Sakura, try not to move too much, it's a litt…" he was cut short when he suddenly felt her body shift as she splayed herself across his back. He could feel her breasts pushing into him and her soft hair just barely caressing the back of his neck. She propped her chin under her right arm which lay flat against Kakashi's shoulder while the other one dangled freely, fingers grazing blades of lush grass with each dip to the ground.

He gulped "A little distracting."

"Consider this training sensei! Distractions happen; good ninja know how to overcome them." She spoke eloquently.

_Smartass._

Beads of perspiration began to form on his forehead, but it wasn't from over exertion. Hatake Kakashi had some how suddenly become all too aware of his student, lazing casually atop him. Sakura's body was pressed so closely to his he could actually feel the warmth emanating from within her. He could hear the steady inhale and exhale of each breath she took, feeling the rise and fall of her chest which was so perfectly pressed into his back. He unexpectedly felt his throat go dry and groaned inwardly, he needed to pick up the pace.

Sakura's free hand had now been tracing tiny patterns with gentle fingertips on Kakashi's flak vest. She had lost count somewhere around seven hundred and fifty and was now more concerned with imaginary doodles. Mind a wander; she realized that her sensei was incredibly fit for his age. She could feel every single taut muscle in his back flexing and relaxing as he continued his regimen. She continued to trail her fingertips across his back inadvertently as her jade eyes traced the contours of his firm shoulders then darted up to the messy, enigmatic grey mop the man had called "hair". She could see tiny beads of sweat collecting on his forehead and hear his breaths become a little heavier. Sakura didn't want to admit it, but she was enjoying this….a little. She actually felt relaxed and it did feel nice to be so close to another warm body. It was comforting. Kakashi had a distinctive and earthy scent to him, it was warm and inviting and definitely very masculine. Not the scent of a boy, but of a man. Her eyes glanced back over what little skin was exposed of his cheek and felt a warm, familiar feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach and came to a realization: Hatake Kakashi was quite attractive.

Sakura tore her eyes for the back of her sensei's head and blushed furiously, reprimanding herself for such silly thoughts. He was her teacher after all! Thoughts like that we're juvenile weren't they? The heat must have been getting to her. She had begun an intrinsic battle with herself when she heard Kakashi clear his throat.

"Sakura, I'm done. You can get off me now."

Snapping back to reality she realized the constant bobbing motioned that she had just become accustomed to had indeed suddenly stopped. Slightly flustered she apologized quickly and hopped off her sensei's back, completely avoiding eye contact and praying to the gods that he hadn't taken notice of her cherry stained cheeks. Standing tall, Kakashi wiped off the perspiration on his forhead with the back of his hand as he turned to Sakura lazily.

"Are we all warmed up then?" he asked flatly, chest heaving slightly with every intake of air.

She nodded quickly without a word then called for Naruto's attention, averting her body from her sensei's dull gaze. She couldn't shake the feeling that his one eye was still locked on her frame absently as she jogged towards her other teammate, but she was too embarrassed to dare turn back. The pleasant breeze that had been accompanying team 7 had slowly diminished and deep down inside, Sakura had a horrible inkling that today was going to be exceptionally nerve wracking. The heat was almost becoming unbearable, what else could possibly go wrong?

The rest of the afternoon had been spent in a grueling sparring match of wits and stamina. It was evident that Naruto had become extremely efficient with his Kage Bunshin clones, and his battle tactics had changed greatly. No longer was he the boy who would charge blindly, fueled by a white, hot rage. No, Naruto changed his notions and had now begun fight with tact. Kakashi was pleased to see this change in his student; Jiraiya had done well with the jinchuuriki. The mysterious jounin sat concealed in the trees, motionless but alert. A flash of gunmetal had whirled mere centimeters past his nose and embedded itself in the bark of the tree behind him.

Shit. He'd been spotted.

"Ahh" he noted "Your aim has gotten better Sakura".

He jumped down from the tree and was met by the Kunoichi's fierce stance, equipped with a kunai in each hand awaiting his next move. Her eyes locked with his and a tiny smirk had played upon her lips. She wouldn't go easy on him; she'd show her sensei just what she was made of. Sakura bolted instantly in his direction, trampling the earth with her determined stride. When she was in close proximity she faked a right hook, kunai a glint from the sunlight, and dove into a sliding roundhouse. She successfully sideswiped him, watching his body crash to the ground below…..with a puff of smoke.

"SHIT!" another shadow clone. Her eyes darted frantically around her; she could feel his chakra signature. He was so close, too close. Launching herself in the air she hurled her kunai directly at the ground and charged her fists with chakra. She knew him well enough to know that he would attack from below the surface of the earth. A Kakashi trademark. She made her descent towards the ground, fists a fury accentuated by a glowing blue halo of chakra that had sparked around them. The ground had cracked when she finally made impact and the earth had rumbled around her. Merely seconds later, the ground had exploded, sending chunks of dirt flying into the air in a chaotic array of mud and chakra. When the dust had settled, she scanned the torn earth at her feet. There was no sign of him. Her eyes targeted the sky above her, but it was too late. Kakashi came hurdling down on her and she had just barely been able to block his attack. He was fast, incredibly fast. It seemed almost unfair really, having the ability of the Sharingan to his aid. She let out a frustrated grunt as she skirted around another punch. To her dismay, she wasn't landing any hits…yet to Kakashi's satisfaction, neither had he.

"You've been practicing" he puffed, ducking under a swift kick of Sakura's toned leg.

"Maybe" she huffed, throwing another forceful punch "I want you to take me seriously!"

He dodged, but just barely in time to see the tall tree the much younger girl had successfully snapped in half like a frail little twig. With a single punch no less. He could feel the sweat breaking, god only knew how Naruto had survived being on the receiving end of that kind of power on more than just a few occasions. Sakura had lunged for him again, her knuckles just grazing the side of his cheek. Her furious chakra had barely nicked his mask, slicing a tiny slit in it. _That was too close._ The stoic jounin could feel something warm and wet trickle slowly down the side of his face. He arched his brow, a look of surprise encompassing his face. She drew blood. Kakashi was impressed with Sakura, not only had she become physically stronger but her movements had gained momentum as well. He didn't have much time to dwell on it though; the Kunoichi was coming at him mercilessly. She was pushing him to the edge and it was time he really got serious.

Their sparring had been in such close quarters it was becoming overwhelmingly intense. Sakura became increasingly unrelenting with her kicks and punches, hardly even giving Kakashi a chance at an opening. His sharingan scanned her movements and locked its gaze with two piercing green orbs. Why was she smirking? He furrowed his brow. It was only then that he noticed she was forming hand seals in rapid succession followed by confident voice. "Sakurabana hijutsu!"

In an instant, she was gone. All that remained was a myriad of soft, pink cherry blossoms flickering past a bemused Kakashi. The blushing petals slowly diffused their sweet, intoxicating scent and gently fell to the Jounins feet. He felt strange, a deep chill coursed through his veins and he shivered. The copy-nin glanced around and his vision slowly blurred, any attempts to get a grip on his bearings had failed. His senses had been completely thrown off balance and all he could smell was the rousing perfume of petals now littered at his feet. His movements had become almost inebriated and sluggish when it finally dawned on him. Kakashi was caught in a very formidable type of genjutsu, one that he hadn't ever been exposed to before. So, the young Haruno girl had developed a new technique.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi spotted a lonesome blossom waving past his nose in a provoking manner. His thoughts were lost when he abruptly found himself being pummeled to the ground from behind with a rough thud. Fortunately, this sudden outburst had finally given his senses the green light and they had returned to him instantly. Unfortunately, he was now eating a mouthful of dirt with a certain pink haired kunoichi straddling his back, putting him in a half nelson with one arm while the other held the pointy tip of a kunai to his neck.

"Ahh" he piped cheerfully "This is a bit of a sticky situation."

Sakura couldn't believe it, she had come at Kakashi with intent to kill and he still managed to use that cheerful, airy tone with her. It aggravated her to no end. Exasperated, the girl released her hold on her teacher convinced she had won the match, flipping him around underneath her so his back was flush with the soft earth below him. She cast her kunai aside and was about to stand up, turning her attention to a nearby sound when she felt a hand grab her wrists and push her forcefully down to the ground. After a short tussle, Kakashi was now pinning her to the earth with the entire length of his body. Her arms were out stretched above her head with Kakashi's palm clamped around both her wrists. She shot him an angry questioning look and was about to speak but was interrupted by the sound of his all too languid voice.

"You let down your guard again Sakura. I must admit, your genjutsu was quite impressive but what's the point if you're just going to give the enemy an excellent opening in the end?"

"What do you mean?" She sputtered awkwardly, chest heaving with laboured breaths as her heart hammered away. Her sensei's face was so close to hers that their noses had almost been touching. Her eyes scanned his nervously. Being in near proximity while fighting was one thing, but having her teacher astraddle her with force seemed a little much to prove a point. Of course Kakashi was known for some of his eccentricities, but Sakura couldn't help but notice the subtle spark of an unreadable emotion flash through his eyes.

And just as soon as it came, it was gone.

"Our sparring isn't over until I say it's over." He replied monotonously, releasing her wrists from his grip.

The silver haired copy-nin hovered above Sakura for a few moments more than seemed necessary before he finally lifted his weight off of her. For some reason, the green eyed chuunin couldn't focus on anything but the loud thumping sound resonating within her chest and the adrenaline that was now pumping furiously through her veins. Her face felt hot, and she knew he had noticed. Sakura didn't move from the patch of grass she was laying on, idly wondering what the hell just happened and why on earth her heart was pounding so fast. Squeezing her eyes shut, the chuunin sat up, feeling the heat of the sun licking at her exposed skin. The girl brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the intransigent sun and eyed her sensei cautiously, making sure he hadn't seen her doing so. Trying to pick apart his actions, her mind reeled with thoughts of Kakashi and his warm body pressing almost intimately into hers, how it made her every inch of her skin tingle…and that look he gave her before he literally leaped off her body in an instant. She should be angry, shouldn't she? That was inappropriate, wasn't it?

A wave of confusion washed over her and she tore her eyes away from her teacher, whose back was now facing her. Perhaps she was reading into things a bit too much, she did have a tendency to over analyze sometimes. Still, the girl couldn't shake the feeling deep in the pit of her stomach; a feeling that a small part of her actually enjoyed their little scuffle. But that was something even she was too scared of admitting. Quickly disregarding her own thoughts, she stood up and stretched her arms behind her back. The dull, throbbing ache of sore muscles was slowly making its presence known again, but Sakura had learned to ignore it. She knew she was pushing herself too hard but how else would she realize her dreams of becoming a Jounin?

"Your genjutsu was very well executed Sakura" Kakashi's abstracted voice murmured as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully "How long have you been developing it?"

"Umm, for a little while now. You're the first that I had actually tried it out on though" she replied, still facing his back "Although, I suppose I'll be seeing it a little more since the famous Copy-Nin of Konoha had the first hands on experience!"

Kakashi stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the girl behind him.  
She smiled genuinely. He really was a depraved old man, at least that's the way Sakura had just made him feel. He knew she didn't even realize what she said; in fact it didn't have any underlying sexual connotations whatsoever. Hatake Kakashi was just a pervert. _Hands on experience indeed_.  
He shook his head ever so slightly, mentally kicking himself.

"You're correct in assuming that my Sharingan now holds the power of your hijutsu. However.." he paused "I think it's much more suited for you Sakura."

"Oh? I suppose it is a little flamboyant for a male…" her words drifted off, yet unbeknownst to Kakashi, Sakura was smiling within. She was thrilled that she had managed to trap her teacher with a genjutsu that she had developed on her own.

"Ooooooooi! So there you guys are! I'm not through with you just yet Kakashi-sensei!" a much too enthusiastic voice bellowed. How in god's name did he maintain such stamina in this stifling heat? Nobody knew.

Naruto had made his presence glaringly obvious, jumping down from a near by tree and racing over towards his teammates. Both Kakashi and Sakura were exhausted from their previous spar and hadn't much energy to take on more exuberant shadow clones.

"Yo, Naruto. I'm afraid we're all wrapped up with our training for now. Perhaps tomorrow you'll be fortunate enough to witness Sakura's new jutsu." His teacher smiled light-heartedly.

"Ehh? Sakura-chan showed you a new jutsu?!" electric blue orbs danced with excitement.

"Well, it wasn't that exciting…really" the pink haired chuunin spoke humbly.

"Heh, well then" Naruto grinned "It's only fair if I show Kakashi sensei MY new jutsu"

_ohgod._

"ULTIMATE HAREM NO JUTSU!"

With a suffocating puff of white smoke, Naruto had vanished. When the thick smoke screen had finally started dissipating slowly, two clearly feminine silhouettes had become very apparent. It was also quite obvious that neither were wearing any clothes. Basking in each others arms they were pressing up against each other, breast to breast in a very intimate and alluring manner. More of the smoke began to clear and Sakura could just barely make out one of the girls features; long blonde pigtails and electric blue eyes. The blonde's arms were wrapped around the other girls' waist; adventurous hands were now snaking their way down past bare hips then planted themselves square on her ass, giving it a squeeze for good measure. A little more smoke had cleared and a little more had become visible. Sakura felt her entire body freeze and her eyes widen from shock, which had very quickly turned to a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

She stood there completely mortified. There she was, staring at a replica of herself utterly naked in the arms of a well endowed female version of Naruto. Shadow clone Sakura's face was flushed and her eyes glazed over in what looked to be the throws of passion. Her jade eyes flickered to Kakashi, whose visible eye was clearly shocked. With a wanton leer she turned to face the blue eyed girl who continued groping her ass and brought her hand up to cup the blonde's rather large, bare breast. Without a moment to lose, the blonde's lips came crashing down on shadow clone Sakura's in a long, wet and passionate kiss. Their tongues dueled for dominance and both had moaned in pleasure. Shadow clone Sakura bit down on the blonde's bottom lip and suckled it momentarily before releasing it with a wet 'pop'. Both the girls turned their eyes to Kakashi while continuing their ministrations, and called out his name.

The jounin stood there, completely frozen. He wanted to tear his eye away from the scene developing in front of him but couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew it wasn't real and he was reprimanding himself for the immoral thoughts that had now been clouding his mind, but good lord it was like a scene from Icha Icha Paradise. What was left of the smoke wasn't really leaving much to the imagination, which didn't matter at this point because it was obvious that the grey haired jounins' would be in over drive after this. Before the wispy clouds of smoke had a chance to clear away completely, Sakura let her trembling voice be known.

"NAAAAAARUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed angrily "I'm going to kill you!"  
That was clearly his cue to get the hell out of dodge. So maybe he'd overdone it just a little, perhaps making a shadow clone of Sakura was crossing the line, but the priceless expression he'd seen plastered on kakashi's face was utterly worth it, even if it meant dealing with the wrath of Sakura's powerful wallop. The pink haired girl was incredibly tenacious and he was in trouble. A lot of trouble. Deciding there was no point in running (she would chase him down and beat him senseless); Naruto knew what he was in for. With another puff of smoke, he reappeared with a dopey grin adorning his whiskered face….just in time to be smashed square in the nose and go flying backwards for a good twenty feet by Sakura's enraged fist.

"YOU ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!"

Kakashi, who'd been standing there completely befuddled, rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. His very forced, light-hearted chortle was all he managed to evoke under the circumstances, obviously playing it off as if he hadn't just witnessed what he did.

"That was…..interesting…" his unenthused voice rang as he cleared his throat "I think we're done for today."

The copy-nin needed to go home and have a shower. A long, bone chillingly cold shower. Sakura who was still red from anger and embarrassment complied with an uncomfortable nod and started stomping off towards Naruto.

"Oi, Sakura" The jounin called after her "Don't rough him up too much, we still have training tomorrow."

At that point, training had really been the last thing on her mind. Sakura didn't know how she'd ever be able to look her sensei in the eye again.

* * *

TBC! I should mention that "Sakurabana Hijutsu" translates to cherry blossom secret art (I believe). This chapter turned out alright I suppose, a little bit more light-hearted than the previous one. I know this one was a bit shorter as well and I apologize. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do more writing, but as it stands right now I need to go to bed! Goodnight folks!


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